Traction wheel



Dec. l5 1925- A 1,565,757

L. E. SLAUSON f nucnon unser.

Filed Aug. 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Shut.k 1

Dec. l5, l925- L. E. SLAUSON TRAcTIoN waarin Filed Aug. 5, 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAcTIoN WHEEL.

Application filed August 5, 1921. Serial No. 490,025.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Louis E. SLAUsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residingat Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TractionWheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traction wheels and one of the particularobjects is to provide a structure in which the wheel is engaged with theshoes contacting with the ground in such a way .that no slipping orspinning of the wheel can take place. Another object of theinventi on isto simplify the construction by making the teeth by which the wheelengages the traction shoes part of the rim of the wheel.

Another object is to so construct the rim of the wheel that it willpresent a smooth surface vto the road when the track shoes have beenremoved and at the same time provide mounted engagement between the rimandl the shoes to prevent any slipping.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention in the formin which I have found it to be satisfactory in actual use, and referringthereto Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my wheel with a portion of theshoes removed.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a track shoe and a tooth.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View of the wheel on the line 4 4 ofFig. 1.

The rim 1 of my-wheel is composed of a pair of spaced annuli, preferablycomprising angle bars 2 and a series of teeth 3 interposed. between theannuli and held rigidly in place by the bolts or rivets 4. Each anglebar has one leg thereof disposed substantially radially of the wheel andthe other leg thereof forms a tread to ride on the ground or onfthetraction shoes, as the case may be. One of these teeth is shown in thedetail in Fig. 3 and it will be noted from the upper right hand portionof Fig. 1 that the curved faces of-these teeth are substantially flushwith the outer periphery of the .angle iron 2 thus presenting a rimsurface that has no projections to sink into the road when the trackshoes are removed. Each of these teeth is provided with a pairupstandi-ngr @als 5 having the perforations G to receive pins 7 by whichthe shoes 8 are secured to the teeth. Each of the shoes in* cludes apair of track portions 9 connected by a plurality of cross pieces 10 oneof which is preferably near the middle` of the shoe and carries thestandard 11 having the enlarged opening 12 to loosely receive the pin 7when the standard 11 is located between the ears 5 of the particulartooth 3. Each end cross piece 10 is equipped with a post 13 adapted tolie between guides 15 carried by the opposite ends of each toothYwhereby the shoes are limited in their torsional swinging about theloose connection with the teeth.

The cross pieces 10 adjacent to the ends of the shoes also extendinwardly to provide the ribs 1G, the inner faces of which 17 areslightly curved to properly contact witll the complemental end faces 1Sof the teeth 3. rllhe middle cross bar 10 also has an upstanding rib 19,the opposite faces of which are formed similar to the faces 17 forengagement with the walls 20 of a transverse recess 23 located about themiddle of each tooth.

Projecting outwardly from each of the track sections 9 are a pluralityof ground engaging bars 22 in this instance shown somewhat triangular inshape, adapted to sink into the ground and form the necessary drivingengagement therewith.

From an examinationof Fig. l it will be seen that when the wheel isdrivingin the direction indicated by the arrow the shoes are presentedsuccessively to the ground and form a practically continuous track onwhich the rim rolls evenly and the bars 22 bite into the ground andprevent the shoes from slipping relative thereto while the engagementbetween the surfaces 17 and 18 and 19 and 2O eifectually gears the wheelto the shoes. Fig. 1 shows the parts in the relative position assumedwhen the axle is directly above the middle of a shoe, the ground beingAindicated by the line A, B. At the upper left hand portion of the figureI have shown two (2) shoes in the position assumed when the axle isdirectly above the space between the adjacent ends of two adjacentshoes, the dotted line C, D representing the ground. As the wheel rollsforward on a shoe G in Fig. 1 the descending ,shoe H drops, by virtue oflopse conslippage o'tthe rim.

nection with the pin 7 and the action ot gravity, directly in fronto therim with its lower end adjacent to the iront end ot the shoe G. Theproportions of partsv are such that at the moment the wheel begins toput weight upontlie shoe II it assumes a substantially horizontalposition with all of the bars engaging the ground, and the surface 18,which is marked K in Fia. l, contacting with the surface 17, marked Ii,so that the dr'ving engagement between the rim and the shoe is perfectedwithout any As the wheel rolls forward on this slice H the engagement is"transferred successively 'trom the leading end iib to theintermediaterib to the other end rib and then to the leading end rib ofthefncxt shoe.

rIhe recess 3 is provided in cach side of the tooth 3 to permit theescape of dirt which may be forced down between the ends of the crosspieces 10 and said sides.

It will be observed that pin T has a head at one end and an openingat-tlie opposite end through which colterpin or other tas-- teiiingdevice is passed. iy this construc- `tion itlis made possible toyquickly remove all the slices trom the wheel upon coming to a pieceo'tipaveiiient or other surtace over which toothed wheels areprohibited. to travel and present a substantially sino-oth rim whichwill pass over the pavement without injuring it. @if inl case it desiredto use soine of the kiiown'iornis ot detachable lugs the slices can beremoved and the lugs attached directly to the face ofthe rim.

Another important iteature that should be noted is that by providing theparticular connection between the shoes andthe teeth all the wearincident to the movement ot the slices comes agaiiist the teeth whichare equally liaid and which canreadily be replaced by new castings whenthe wear 'has become excessive. The advantage oit this is eliminatingthe wear-on the rim sections, the replacement ot'which would betantamount to building a new wheel.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion and arrangement otparts otmy invention may be made without departing from the spirit orsacrilicingthe advantages thereof and I therefore reserve theright tomake all such changes asfairlyfall within the scope of the followingclaims:

I claim:

l. In a traction wheel, a rim including a pair ot sidel members, andintermediate tooth members, a. traction shoe loosely pivoted to each otsaid tooth members and having driving surfaces yadapted to besuccessively engaged by driving surfaces on said teeth.

In a traction wheel, a rim including a pair of side members and a seriesof intermediate members securing them together,

said intermediate members havingl driving faces adiacent to the ends andpresenting` outer surfaces substantially flushl with said side members,a series o't track slices loosely lpair of side members and a series ofintermediate members secured thereto, each intermediate memberpresenting an outer face substantially flush with the side I members andhaving a pair ot bearing members and a pair ot guides, traction shoeseach having a portion adapted to be located between bearing members,means toi.' loosely pivoting they traction shoes to said bearingIinembei's, and means carried by said traction shoes cooperating withthe guides on the intermediate members to keep the shoes in alignmentwith the rim.

Il. In a traction wheel, a rim including spaced side members and rigidintermediate connecting meinbers,'traction shoes loosely vpivoted tosaid intermediate members, posts onl sa id shoes and guides onsaidintermediate -meii-ibers cooperating with the posts t0 align the shoesin the direction ol travel.

In a traction wheel, the combination of a rim including side membersspaced by rigid intermediateteeth, traction shoes haviii g means toengage with said teeth, means forlloosely pivoting the shoes to theteeth, posts adjacent to the ends et the shoes, and spaced guides'oiithe teeth receiving said posts.

G. VVIn a traction wheel," the combination oi a rim including spacedside members connected by intermediate members having transversedrivingsurfaces, a series of traction slioesloosely pivoted to said members,

yaiidineans on said shoes-toetiect a driving engagement with saidtransverse driving surfaces on said members.

7. In a traction wheel, the combination ofi a rimiincliiding spaced'sidemembers connected byintermediate teeth having transverse drivingsurfaces, and aseries of tractioii'shoes loosely pivoted to the teethand comprising spaced trackiiiembers adapted to support said sidemembers and intermedi- -ate ribs adapted to engage the teeth.

8. In a traction wheel, the combination of ya rim inclndingspaced ringsconnectedby intermediate teeth, said iteeth having pivot bearingsadjacent. to the middle and-guides adjaceiitlto the ends, and a Aseriesoit shoes each having astandardfpivoted to said bear- 'ings and 'postscooperating with said guides.

9. In a traction wheel, the combination of a. rim including spaced ringsconnected by intermediate teeth, each tooth having end `bearingffaccsand intermediate bearing surfaces spaced by .a transverse recess, and :i

traction shoe loosely pivoted to each tooth and including spaced trackmembers to Support Vthe rings, and transverse bars having teeth Withbearing surfaces to cooperate 5 With the bearing surfaces on the rimtee-th. l0. In a traction Wheel, e rim comprising spaced angle bars,teeth rigidly connecting said angle bars and substantially Hush with theouter surface of said rim and a traction shoe loosely and removablypvoted to each of said teeth and provided with track portions for saidangle bars and with means to engage said teeth to form a drivingconnection therebetween.

LOUIS E. SLAUSON.

